


The Unlikely Bond

by CreampuffedHollstein



Category: Once Upon A Time - Fandom, swan queen - Fandom
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-11-17
Updated: 2012-11-17
Packaged: 2017-11-18 22:04:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/565767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CreampuffedHollstein/pseuds/CreampuffedHollstein
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Instead of Emma's kiss waking Henry and breaking the curse, Henry stays in the coma. Emma and Regina share regret over the situation and find themselves spending more time together. An unlikely bond forms and begins to stir feelings between them. Together they prepare for Rumpel's return, all the while dealing with truly unexpected feelings.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> And again, rated M for future chapters. :)

Nothing could be worse. There couldn't be anything more horrible, not even suddenly dying, than to see Henry lying there, pale body still and non-responsive. The only thing moving was his chest, breathing merely assisted by a machine. This was all Regina's fault. If she had just let Emma leave, if she had just let it be and not given her that damn apple turnover. But no, she had to take control, making sure Emma was out of the picture for good. Well she had failed, fucking failed big time. Now Henry was laying in a hospital bed - in a coma.

This was the price for getting attached. This was what Emma got for sticking around and not just leaving when she had first said she would. Now, months later, here she was crying over the son she had given up ten years ago. Amazing how things could change. Not only that, but also the knowledge of the curse being real was too much. It was too much to know that what Henry had been spouting at her had been true the whole time. If only she had listened.

Regina knew it was her fault. The pain in her chest, knowing she had put Henry in this coma, was too hard to live with. Not to mention she only had ten minutes to sit with him each day. Her guilt drove into her, wrenched at her heart tighter than anything she'd ever known. This hurt even worse than when she had lost Daniel. And that meant something. Emma kept her from staying longer, from spending as much time beside her son as she could. But Regina never protested it. There was no use in bickering about it when her son was lying in a coma. What if he could hear them?

Somehow Emma had been given the power of saying who could come in to visit Henry and when. It was infuriating. The whole situation set Regina's nerves on fire. Emma Swan. That damn woman. If she had just eaten the apple turnover. If she had just not showed up at all. What she would give to rewind to before she had showed up. She ruined everything. While Regina knew it was her fault, she still blamed Emma for everything, including Henry's coma.

It had been a month since Henry had fallen into the coma and Emma remembered the day it happened very vividly. She probably always would. She remembered fondly how she'd thrown Regina into a room, not giving her enough time to react properly. A smile flashed across her lips as she thought of how she'd slammed her against that locker and held her there, yelling at her in anger. The smile disappeared as she remembered why she had done it.

That was when Regina had admitted to the curse being true. Emma knew she was telling the truth, her superpower going haywire. Although August had also tried to tell her, she'd refused to believe him. She had indeed been blind, only seeing it when Henry had sacrificed himself to prove it. Now God knew when he was going to wake up – if ever. It was the most depressing, most horribly agonizing thing Emma had ever been through and it was all thanks to Regina. She was pretty sure she'd always blame Regina.

There was something the two of them shared though, aside from their regret over Henry. Both lived constantly in fear of Gold returning and bringing chaos with him. Neither had any idea where he had disappeared to and it scared them that he had gone quiet for a month. Regina knew he'd be showing up again, and knew very well he had something planned. As for what it was, she had no clue – so did Emma. While she knew Gold was a dangerous man, she had no idea what he was truly capable of.

Every now and then she'd hear a strange noise and she'd jump, praying like hell that it wasn't Gold. She had a fear he'd hurt her, maybe somehow trying to kill Henry. Once in a while she'd think he might come back for Regina. While the idea intrigued her, she knew nothing could happen to Regina. Otherwise she'd be absolutely alone when it came to knowing about the curse, alone in her regret and misery. And she sure as hell couldn't have that.

It was these things and more that plagued her mind as Emma sat in her chair at the Sheriff's office. She slumped over her desk, finding it idiotic that she still had to play Sheriff. Even though she knew about the curse, no one else did. So life went on as it usually did for everyone else. For Emma though, life was vastly different. Maybe not in the mundane acts of every day life, but in her mind it had most certainly changed. Emma folded her arms and laid her head on them, closing her eyes momentarily. Her mouth stretched out into a wide yawn, legs stretching out under her desk. She never meant to fall asleep, but minutes later a light snoring fell from her lips. It was as she slept that her dreams reiterated what ran through her mind the most.

_Emma ran outside after Regina, following close behind her. They both had been told to go home and get some rest, seeing as they had both been awake since Henry was brought to the hospital. Emma and Regina both had bruises all over their bodies, thanks to Emma slinging Regina into a room to yell at her. That was when Emma had found out the truth, had found out that Henry had been right all along. She knew Regina was telling the truth after she had asked if it was true. She should have left Regina alone, should have just gone back to Mary Margaret's…no, Snow's apartment. But instead she had followed Regina, glaring at her back the whole time. Emma had never been so pissed, so angered before._

_Just as Regina approached her Mercedes, she turned on Emma, glaring back at her. "_

_What?" She asked, tone low and harsh. "Do you plan on following me now? Seeing how many more I try to put into coma?" She spat the words at Emma, but the blond didn't even blink._

_Emma stepped forward, completely invading Regina's personal space. "_

_Oh, you can bet your ass I'll be watching you closely. Very…closely." Her green eyes narrowed into slits and Regina returned the look._

_"_ _Do what you want, Swan. But what happened to Henry was not intentional. That turnover was meant for you." Regina balled up her fists, hoping maybe her words would cut right through Emma._

_A shiver ran down Emma's spine, but she made no show of it. Instead, the anger boiled up inside her further, making her neck turn red. Her hand reached up and wrapped around Regina's throat, squeezing ever so slightly. Regina tried to back up, but found her back pressed tightly against her car. She struggled a little, but did little else to show that she was afraid of what Emma might do. Emma could feel Regina's heartbeat quicken against her hand, pulse just under her thumb. She was starting to squeeze a little harder, but was stopped when Regina abruptly pushed hard against her chest. The sudden push had Emma sucking in a lungful of air and letting go of Regina._

_Regina took that moment to push Emma once more, the blond stumbling back and tripping on feet. She landed on the concrete with a thud, air rushing out from her lungs and leaving her breathless. Turning towards her car, Regina prepared to open it and climb in, but she was suddenly stopped by a hand grabbing tightly at her arm. Regina was pulled from her car and slammed against it once more. Brown eyes met angered green as she glared at Emma. She had Regina pinned against her car with her body, hands balling around the material of Regina's blazer._

_Just as Emma pushed her face closer to Regina's, Regina hands came up to tangle in Emma's hair. She grabbed a fistful of the blond locks and pulled as hard as she could. Emma hissed as her head shot back, pain shooting through her skull. Her own hand grabbed and pulled at Regina's hair, pulling so hard she was sure she felt some of Regina's hair being pulled out. By the scream that came from Regina's mouth, she was pretty sure she had done exactly that. Regina let go of Emma's hair and immediately braced herself for a punch. She nicked Emma's cheek, ring slicing against skin. She would have hit her straight in the face had Emma not moved._

_Emma's own fist connected with Regina's mouth, pain searing through her cheek and down her neck. Her anger flashed hotter and she took another shot at Emma, not hitting her at all this time. Regina was slinging blind after a moment, screaming obscenities at Emma. It was unlike her, losing control like that. But she was so angry at herself and at Emma that she couldn't contain it anymore. Emma just kept ducking and dodging Regina's swings, unable to get any of her own swings in. Emma did understand Regina's anger, able to feel it herself. They were mad at each other and that could only lead to the two of them fighting. Regina was throwing another punch at Emma when Emma's hand connected with her face in a slap. It startled her, her actions stopping mid swing._

_The two of them backed away from each other, Regina's hand swinging blindly behind her for her car. Emma shook her head, licking her lips as she let out a breath of irritated laughter._

_"_ _This isn't over." She mumbled, turning her back towards Regina. "We've got a hell of a lot to talk about." She threw behind her before walking off, leaving Regina behind._

_S_ _he was too tired to fight with her anymore, thankful the slap to her face had stopped Regina from freaking out. Just before she was completely out of ear shot, Regina finally spoke up._

_"Watch your back, Sheriff. There's no telling when Rumpel will show back up and what he has planned."_

_Emma gave a curt nod before continuing her walk to the apartment._

A sudden, loud boom startled Emma awake, making her jump a few feet out of her chair. She grabbed at the gun on her belt and held it up as she swung her body around, looking for whoever or whatever had made the noise. It took her a moment to realize she was alone in her office and yet another moment to realize it was raining outside. A flash of lightening lit up the room, followed by another sound of thunder. Emma let out a relieved sigh and put her gun back in the holster, sinking back down into her seat and letting her body go limp.

She thought over her dream, shaking her head as she realized it was detail for detail of what had happened outside the hospital. She knew she hadn't talked to Regina yet, not having even seen the woman around town. Emma supposed she was probably having her grieving time in her home alone, away from anyone who could see her break down. Not that she could blame her on that front. Emma wasn't one to want to showcase her emotions either. However, Emma also knew that she and Regina needed to have a talk and soon.

Two hours after the rain had finally stopped, Emma pulled up to Henry's castle in the Sheriff's car. Or rather, the spot that used to be Henry's castle. Wood still laid everywhere from when Regina had it tore down. She was so focused on the castle that she completely missed the figure sitting on one of the pieces of wood. Emma removed herself from the car and made her way towards the spot, tears immediately coming to her eyes as she thought about Henry. She had been coming here ever since Henry had fallen into that coma. She went to his castle every day to apologize, to sit and think about how she could solve this whole ordeal. It was as she stepped up onto a random piece of wood that she finally saw something move from the corner of her eye. She jumped, heart pounding in her cheat for a moment before realizing who it was.

Green eyes narrowed she they fell on Regina, brown eyes glaring up at her own.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Emma asked, frowning deeply.

Regina made no move to speak for a moment, just glaring up at Emma from her spot on the wood.

"I've been coming here. Because I know how much Henry loved it here….before I had his castle tore down." A regretful look fell upon Regina's face then as she turned away from Emma. "It was only because the storm had torn it down first. I was only thinking of his safety." She whispered, gloved hand swiping at the lone tear that fell from her eyes.

Regina swallowed and stiffened as Emma took a seat beside her, scooting away from the blond as much as she could.

Emma rolled her eyes, but stayed in her spot. She said nothing about Regina's comments, just staring out at the ocean as the waves crashed against the rocks. Silence fell around them for a moment, making the situation a little awkward. They both had apparently expected to be alone, but suddenly faced sitting with someone they had no intention of doing so. The silence was broken though as Regina's curiosity got the better of her.

"What are you doing here?" She questioned, voice dripping with the same irritation as Emma's had been. Green eyes cut over to her for a moment before Emma shrugged her shoulder.

"I've been coming here since Henry was put in the hospital. I feel…closer to him here. As crazy as that sounds." It was all Emma was going to give and she was sure Regina would mock her for it. However, when no mocking came, Emma was quite surprised.

The only response she got was a whispered "Me too."

It was silent again, the two of them just staring out at the water. There was nothing to say really, nothing that hadn't been said already. Though Emma had every intention of questioning Regina, she couldn't find the words to do so. Though the other wouldn't know it, they were both sitting there berating themselves internally. While Emma and Regina both blamed the other for this mess, they also blamed themselves. There was a struggle they secretly, unknowingly shared as they continued to sit with each other.

Every now and then Emma would get the urge to want to reach over and ring Regina's neck, but she kept to herself and tried to act as if she was alone. She also wanted to ask questions, but assumed Regina wouldn't want to talk about them. It was nearly an hour later when Regina roused from her seat on the wood. She started to talk away, Emma sighing in relief. But she had barely walked a foot away before she stopped and turned around.

"You said we needed to talk. I suppose now is as good a time as any?"

When Emma turned to look at her in surprise, Regina had her eyebrow raised. There was a look in her eye that told her she knew exactly what Emma wanted to talk about. It seemed she was more ready than Emma had anticipated. Emma nodded, getting up from her own seat.

"Sure." Emma said with a nod, walking towards her.

"Good. You can follow me to my home then." Regina said no more, left no room for arguments, as she turned and retreated to her car.

All Emma could do was follow, getting back into the Sheriff's car and following Regina to her mansion. This was the moment Emma had been waiting for since they'd left the hospital. She had questions and she needed them answered. Her mind still failed to wrap around everything she had learned since gaining the knowledge of the curse being real. Regina was the only one who could clarify anything. That thought alone made Emma worried. Regina was the only one she could rely on now and there was no easy way around that.


	2. Chapter 2

Emma sat on the couch in Regina's office with a glass of apple cider in her hands. She didn't dare make eye contact with Regina, unable to really look at her. The silence was awkward as Regina sat across from her, nursing her own glass of cider. Emma had said she'd wanted to talk. She even had plenty of questions lingering in her head, but when she'd sat down on Regina's couch facing the other woman, she just couldn't seem to get the words to come out.

So silence had ensued while Regina sat quietly with a look of irritation on her features. They were clearly both uncomfortable with being alone like this. While animosity lingered in the air between them, at least they weren't flinging insults at each other like they usually did. And frankly, Emma was tired of arguing with her anyway.

It seemed to be quiet for too long between them because eventually Emma cleared her throat, wiggling in her seat. She was getting restless, just sitting there. Emma perched herself on the end of the couch and knocked back the rest of the cider. Her head swam for a minute and she had to close her eyes. But when she opened them, she set her jaw in determination and steadied herself.

Placing the glass on the table in front of her, and feeling Regina's eyes on her the whole time, Emma finally found the words and the nerve to say what she's wanted to say since Henry fell into the coma.

"It's all your fault." Emma blurted before she could even think about stopping the words.

Regina had been close to taking a sip of her cider before Emma had spouted her words. She stopped mid sip and her eyes widened, obviously not having expected Emma to just suddenly say that. Her brown eyes narrowed and she set down her own drink.

"I'm not the only one to blame here, Ms. Swan." With Regina's use of her last name, Emma rolled her green eyes and stood up.

"Okay, look, I didn't come here to argue." She folded her arms against her chest and leaned to the side a bit. Regina raised a well trimmed brow and frowned.

"Then please, tell me, what did you come here for?" She folded her own arms and crossed her legs, sitting back a bit. Her eyes never left Emma as she started pace back and forth in front of the couch.

Emma didn't know why she was so nervous to have this conversation. But her heart was beating wildly in her chest and she was warring with the overwhelming need to punch Regina in the face. That wouldn't do anyone any good though, Emma knew that. More fighting would not help their child that was laying helpless and in a coma. Their child…. Emma was stunned to find herself thinking that way. Even though she was more than mighty pissed with Regina for putting him in this coma, she knew Regina was very much Henry's mother. She had taken care of him all these years and he had turned out to be a good kid, a very smart kid. However, none of that changed their situation.

Finally, after another moment of pacing, Emma let out a long breath she had been holding and sat herself back down. After removing her coat and draping it on the back of the couch, she continued.

"I'm just going to get it all out there." She started, ignoring Regina's icy glare. She had to use all her willpower not to say something sarcastic. "I think it's about high time you come clean with everything and be completely honest with me." Emma emphasized on the everything, making sure Regina understood. Which, of course she did. She had a feeling she knew where Emma was going with this.

"Well, I…" Regina began, but was quickly cut off by Emma.

"I'm not finished yet." She threw her own icy glare to Regina before continuing. "Not only do you need to be honest with me about everything, but we need to stop all the fighting between us. Because in case you haven't noticed, we're fighting for the same cause now….Henry's welfare." Emma stopped for a moment to lock her eyes with Regina. Neither woman broke eye contact as Emma carried on. "We're on the same side now, Regina. Whether we like it or not." Emma pursed her lips and went limp on the couch, falling into the back of it.

Regina huffed a sigh and rubbed the bridge of her nose as she closed her eyes.

"Well, it's clear neither one of us likes it…" There was a moment of silence before Regina begrudgingly let the next words fall from her lips. "But you're right. We are fighting for the same thing now. And Henry is all I care about. So if I have to work together with you…" There was a sneer in her voice and her upper lip turned up in disgust at the thought. "To save Henry, then that's what I'll do."

Emma almost smiled at how pained Regina sounded at the thought of having to work together with her. She kept the smile at bay though, know that something like would certainly spark an argument with the temperamental woman.

"Good to know you agree." Emma stated, leaning forward just the tiniest bit.

She placed her elbows on her knees and linked her fingers together, eyes dancing over the woman sitting in front of her. "And now that we're on a somewhat level, albeit shaky, ground…" Emma paused, a frown turning her mouth down. "We need to talk about Mr. Gold."

Regina shook her head. "Rumeplstiltskin." She corrected.

Emma just rolled her eyes and waved her hand. "Whatever. Whoever he is, we need to talk about him. I need to know what he's capable of. I need to know what you know about him. Everything."

It was Regina's turn to rise from her seat and start a small path back and forth. She'd stop every now and then to gaze at Emma, studying the blond almost like the words she needed were written on her face. She turned from Emma for a moment and walked to her desk, leaning against it after turning around to face Emma once again. "He's dangerous." Regina began, tone as serious as a heart attack.

"He is capable of things you wouldn't believe." She sucked in a breath and leaned further onto her desk, arms unfolding and hanging by her sides.

"I honestly have no idea what he is planning. He fooled us both when we were trying to save Henry. All I can say is we better prepare ourselves because there is no telling when the little imp will return." Regina's lip twitched as her lips stumbled over imp. "So, in essence, we have to stick together. Especially since we need to protect Henry. I don't know what he'll try to do to him. Especially since he's the perfect way to get to either one of us." Finally Regina gave a long sigh, shaking her head. "I know working together doesn't appeal to either one of us, but you're right. We are very much on the same side this time."

"Hooray." Emma muttered sharply under her breath, rubbing her face with her hands. She knew she needed to stick with Regina, but that didn't mean she was excited about it.

Regina just rolled her eyes, lifting herself from her desk and walking back to her seat.

"There's one thing I want to know." Emma said from behind her hands. Regina raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. It took Emma a moment to raise her head. When she saw Regina questioning face, she continued. "Can he use magic here?" Emma tilted her head, practically expecting Regina to confirm that he could.

Regina bit her lip for a moment. She used to be sure of that answer. But now… Now she had no clue.

"To be honest, I'm unsure of whether he can or not. I'd like to think he can't, since magic is not possible in this world. However, I would not be surprised if he found a way to use it. And if he has, well…"

Regina paused, turning even more serious, tone dropping an octave.

"Then we have no chance of winning."

Emma swallowed, eyes going wide.

"And let me guess, you don't have any magic at all here either?"

Regina features turned from worried to hard in an instant."No, Ms. Swan, I do not. Otherwise I would have more than likely used it by now."

The fact that she would have used it to save Henry went unspoken.

Emma sucked in a long breath, unsure of where else to go with this conversation. There were still so many questions bouncing through her mind.

"Okay, so, as long as you don't have magic…Rumpelstiltskin shouldn't either…right?" She raised her thin eyebrow, eying Regina carefully.

Emma didn't entirely trust Regina. Not yet. And not that she thought she ever would. There was just too much that had gone on between them. The woman had tried to kill her for God's sake.

Regina bit her bottom lip, resisting the urge to shrug her shoulders like she'd seen Emma do a million times. "Not necessarily."

If at all possible, Emma's frown deepened further. Regina's eyes squinted just a little more as her forehead crinkled further.

"There's a possibility that he could have figured out how to get only his magic back. But we won't really know until he shows up again." At those words, a shiver ran down both of the women's spines.

Emma hated the feeling of being worried someone was coming after her. But she wasn't afraid for just herself this time.

She was also afraid for Henry's life. And maybe also Regina's, not that she'd ever admit it. The conversation died after that, Emma not having the stomach to talk about it anymore. Regina sat on the couch with a scowl on her face, staring at the floor and completely ignoring Emma. Well, trying to. The blond kept pacing and shuffling, so it made it had not to notice that she was in the room.

When the silence became too awkward, became too much, Regina bolted up from her seat on the couch and made her way to the office door.

"I think maybe it's time for you to leave now, Sheriff. I'd like to be alone." That, of course, was a lie. Alone was the last thing Regina wanted, but she was not about to admit this to Emma of all people. Emma scowled at Regina's bitchy tone, but turned to head through the door anyway.

Regina had the front door open and waiting for Emma as she waited for the blond to get her ass in gear and get out of her house. Just as Emma stepped one foot over the threshold, she stopped and turned towards Regina.

"Thanks for uh…talking with me about all that. I know…I know it wasn't easy." It sounded like those words were hard for Emma to say, but Regina just brushed it off and rolled her eyes.

"You're welcome. Goodnight, Sheriff Swan."

Emma had to jump away from the door to avoid getting hit by it as Regina quickly shut it.

"Jesus." The blonde muttered to herself, shaking her head as she made her way back to her bug.

She was inside it's warmth and was grinding the gears to leave when she realized she had forgotten her leather jacket inside Regina's office.

"Well, shit!" Emma griped, turning her car off and getting out a little more forcefully than was necessary.

She made her way back into the Mayor's home without evening announcing she had come back in. Instead, she just slipped down the hallway and back into they Mayor's home office. What she hadn't expected was the older woman to still be sitting in there, perched on the edge of her couch. What was even less expected was to see Regina crying.

Emma swung the door open and stopped mid stride to her jacket. Regina jumped, startled by the sudden intrusion and began to frantically wipe at the tears streaming down her face. It only served to make room for new ones and smear the mascara down her face even more. Emma looked like a deer caught in the headlights, unable to move or blink as her wide, green eyes stared at Regina.

It was in that moment that Emma felt her heart clench and break a little for the woman standing in front of her. Slowly, and with a little trepidation, Emma shuffled over to Regina, arms coming out to bring the older woman into an awkward embrace.

"I'm sorry, Regina." The blonde whispered, but stopped there. She didn't know what else to say. In fact, she wasn't even sure why Regina was crying. Well, she had a hint, but Henry might possibly not be the only reason.

Regina sank into the hug for a moment, stunned by the warmth of it. Stunned even more by the feeling of human contact. She couldn't remember the last time she'd actually been hugged. Even Henry had stopped hugging her a long time ago. However, the feeling didn't last long as she remembered it was Emma that was hugging her. Her body went rigid and she jerked back from the embrace. A look of disgust replaced the look of pain in a matter of seconds.

"I don't need you comforting me. I don't need anyone." Her tone was harsh, unrelenting. Her darkened eyes flickered over to Emma's jacket, realizing this was why she'd come back. Walking over to it, Regina pick the jack up with her thumb and forefinger, holding it out to Emma like it stunk. "Now please take your jacket and leave my home, Ms. Swan."

The blond looked on in shock for a moment, stunned momentarily. However, her brain kicked back into gear and reminded her that she shouldn't have expected anything else from the Mayor.

"I was just trying to…" Emma stopped herself, snatching her jacket out of Regina's hand. "Ya know what? Never mind. I wasn't trying to do anything, but get my jacket. Have a nice evening,  _Madam Mayor._ " Emma spat the word like it tasted bad in her mouth.

In a way it did, really. Anything having to do with Regina always left a bad taste in her mouth. Emma muttered to herself as she went back to her car, complaining about how she was never comforting anyone, ever again.

"Should have known better, Swan. Should have known better." She mumble with regret as she slipped back into the warmth of her bug.


	3. Chapter 3

Three days after having her talk with Regina, it still bothered Emma how she had reacted to her hug. Okay, sure, it was awkward and not something the two of them did. But she was just trying to be comforting for heaven's sake! Emma knew she should have known better than to do such a thing. Regina was not the type to take comfort from anyone. However, Emma felt like that was what they both needed. While she did have Mary Margaret, it was awkward being around her, especially after knowing the woman was her mother.

The brunette had no clue of course, so when she tried to talk to Emma about her problems with David, Emma had to tune her out. Mary Margaret caught on, naturally, realizing Emma was paying her no mind. It got even more awkward between them then, MM always trying to get Emma to tell her what was wrong. Emma would always use Henry as the excuse, which he was part of it, but he was not the only problem she was dealing with.

Emma had taken to spending most of her time at either Henry's hospital room, his old castle spot or Granny's diner. She would only go home to sleep, which truth be told wasn't all that often. She had avoided Regina the past few days, thankfully never seeing her at Henry's old castle spot. She didn't need to be reminded of just how awkward that last meeting had been. Emma was already reminded enough by her own mind, she didn't need Regina's curled lip sneering at her for it either.

She couldn't handle it today anyway. Or any day, for that matter, She had surprised herself by not knocking Regina out when she'd gotten snippy with her. However, it was really, truly inevitable. At some point, sooner than later, that Emma would run into Regina. And Emma had that gut feeling it would be pretty damn soon. After all, they still had things to talk about. At least, that's what Emma kept telling herself. There was a tiny, the tiniest really, voice in the very back of her mind that told her she needed to be around Regina. Hell if she'd listen to it though.

The blonde sat in the most uncomfortable chair of all uncomfortable chairs, twisting every now and then as she stared at Henry laying quietly in the hospital bed. She had scooted the chair as close to his bed as she could, but somehow it still wasn't close enough. It was hard watching him lay there, lifeless and pale. The only indication that he was still alive was the rise and fall of his chest and the beeping of the monitor.

That beeping had become the background noise of Emma's life. She heard it wherever she went, the sound always following her around and reminding her that her son was laying in a hospital, waiting for her to save him. What tore her up the most though, was that she had no clue how to save him. She didn't have an inkling of what would even stir the boy from his slumber.

It was hard for Emma, sitting there doing nothing. At the same time though, she hated being away from Henry. She always felt like he would wake up while she wasn't there. But nothing of the sort had happened. Every time she entered the room he was in the same position, chest moving up and down slowly. It was a sad sight to take in and she had to hold back tears every time.

Today was no different. Emma sat in the same chair, twisting and turning to find comfort on it just as she always did. Every now and then she'd run her thumb over the back of his hand, wishing like hell that he'd flinch or turn his hand over and reach for hers. Every time she hoped and every time she was let down. Her heart sank in her chest a little deeper each time.

The blonde gave a sigh as she held Henry's hand in hers, green eyes gazing over his smooth skin. The frown on her lips increased a little, tears prickling at the back of her tired eyes. She'd been sitting there for over ten minutes now, the beeping sound echoing in her ears.

It was always after those ten minutes that Emma began to talk to Henry. She often wondered if he could hear her, but either way, she needed an outlet, someone to really speak to about everything. And even if Henry couldn't respond, she spoke to him anyway, relieving herself of everything that plagued her mind.

"So…" Emma began, staring at her sons face as she absentmindedly continued running her thumb over his skin.

"I uh…I hugged Regina a few days ago." The blonde felt her cheeks heat up as she said it out loud.

She hadn't mentioned a word of this to anyone. Why would she? It wasn't like anyone would believe that Regina would let the Sheriff hug her. And in a way, she really didn't.

However, it had almost all seemed like a dream until the words came scrambling out of her mouth.

"The weird thing was, she almost let me really hug her. She was so close to just letting me comfort her, but she slammed those damn walls up…" Emma stopped, covering her mouth. "Sorry, kid, didn't mean to cuss in front of you."

Emma licked her lips and leaned forward, leaning against the bed. She stayed silent for only a second longer before she began again.

"She's the only person I've ever seen throw walls up so quickly. Except for…" When those words skipped out of her mouth, she recalled Mary Margaret saying something similar to her. It seemed like ages ago, but in truth it hadn't really been that long.

"Sheesh. Who does that sound like, huh?"

A ghost of a smile flickered across her lips, but it disappeared before it could even find purchase.

"Anyway, my point is, she won't let anyone at all help her. She's so guarded. Probably a lot more than I am." Two beats. "Which is saying something really."

Emma's hold on Henry's hand squeezed a little tighter, feeling like he was her lifeline somehow.

"But I guess maybe we're that way because…well, because it feels a heck of a lot safer holding everything in. That way the only person who can judge you is yourself." The blonde shrugged, leaning back into the chair again.

"Maybe I'm just spouting nonsense now." She mumbled, eyes flickering to the floor.

When she looked back up, she was hoping she'd see Henry sitting up and shaking his head at her. But no such thing happened, making her wish her mind wouldn't take her to such places. Her hopes were smashed every time.

"I miss you, Henry. I wish you'd wake up. Not just for me, but for your mom, too. She misses you. I can see it, even if she tries to hide it. I really do believe she loves you and I wish you would too. No matter how much I hate her, nobody deserves to have their kid hate them."

Emma stopped, shaking her head momentarily.

"I'll stop rambling now." The blonde mumbled, moving to scoot the chair away from the bed. She stood by Henry's bed, hand rubbing up and down the boys arm.

"Just get better, Henry. Wake up for us." Emma had to swallow to keep herself from crying. It was too much.

Emma brought her hand up to smooth some of Henry's hair back, only to watch it spring back up. A tear rolled down her cheeks as she let go of his hand, finding it nearly impossible to turn away from him. Every day seemed a little harder than the day before. This day was no different as she walked towards the door, feeling like her legs were made of lead.

She dragged herself out of the room, sparing one more glance at Henry before leaving the hospital all together. When had to bite into her lip to keep from balling her eyes out. As she slipped into her car, she let go of her lip and felt blood seep out of the mark she had made. And despite her previous efforts, she began to cry as she leaned against the steering wheel of her car.

The blond found herself sitting alone in Mary Margaret's apartment an hour later, whiskey bottle sitting on the table in front of her. One more glass and the bottle would be completely empty. The bottle had been full when Emma had returned to the apartment, but the amount of feelings crashing over her had been too much for her to bare, so she had taken to drowning her sorrows with alcohol. It wasn't really helping like she had hoped though. Moving to Storybrooke had changed her, that was for sure. In Boston, she would have been able to drink her feelings under the table and forget about them. Now…well, now she wasn't able to get rid of these shitty feelings at all.

Emma was thankful Mary Margaret wasn't home. She didn't feel like being lectured, didn't feel like being under the sometimes suffocating soft gaze of her roommate. Especially knowing now that MM was not just her roommate, she was also her mother. Heavy lids closed over green eyes as her mind whirled from all the complications. Leaning against the table, Emma groaned as she laid her head down on the cool surface.

Her right hand grabbed for the whiskey as her left hand planted itself firmly against her head. Her head was throbbing, but whether it was from the alcohol, the confusion or both, Emma wasn't sure. Suddenly, as Emma tried to pull her head up from the table, the sound of keys jiggling and the door being opened sounded through the apartment. "Well, fuck me." Emma moaned to herself, rolling her eyes as she felt Mary Margaret's eyes boring into her back.

Instead of looking up at Mary Margaret, Emma just gave up on lifting her head and kept herself glued to the chair and table. She closed her eyes, willing the brightness of the lights to dim. Her headache ebbed for a moment, but it came crashing back as soon as MM's voice filled her ears.

"Emma? What's wrong?" There was that concerned tone Emma had wanted to avoid.

She could practically picture the look on Mary Margaret's face, even without actually seeing it. Those doe eyes of hers were probably filled with concern and worry, mouth turned down in a frown and her forehead wrinkled. And she would bet all her money that she was staring at the bottle Emma was gripping and wondering if this had anything to do with Henry or Regina. Which, regretfully, was the stem of her problems ninety-nine percent of the time.

Another groan escaped the plastered blonde as she sat up, turning her head only slightly. She wasn't about to look Mary Margaret in the face. There was no possible way she could handle that gaze tonight.

"Nothing. I'm peachy. Peachy freaking keen." Sarcasm dripped from every syllable, making MM's frown become even deeper.

"Oh sure. That's why you broke out the whiskey, because you're totally fine." Mary Margaret deadpanned, walking slowly towards Emma. "I know you better than that Emma. You don't touch that stuff unless there's something to be depressed about." MM stopped talking for a moment, inching ever closer to Emma. She sighed, worry for Emma consuming her everything thought now. "Is it because of Henry?" The brunette asked, laying a hand on Emma's shoulder.

Emma winced at the mention of Henry, his very name even making her feel worse. She had to fight the willpower to pull away from Mary Margaret's touch. She didn't need even more guilt punching her in the face for making Mary Margaret feel unwanted and pushed out. However, one would think she would have been used to it by now. After all, she had run away with Henry at one point.

When Emma had returned, Mary Margaret had been the most pissed she'd ever seen her. In hindsight, that situation looked even more like a mother scolding her child than she had ever thought possible.

"Oh God." Emma moaned out loud, unable to stop the words from tumbling from her lips.

Mary Margaret's eyes went wide and her hands began to hover all around Emma, unsure of what to do.

"Oh God what, Emma? What's the matter?" The brunette began to panic a bit, unsure as to whether Emma was in pain. Well, of course she was emotionally, but there was no way she was about to drag that confession out of Emma any time soon.

Finally MM pulled away, sitting in the chair next to Emma and laying her palm on the woman's arm.

"Come on, Emma. Doesn't it feel better just letting it all out?" Mary Margaret's raised her eyebrows in question, blindly hoping Emma would actually open up this time.

Emma opened and closed her mouth, feeling like a fish out of water. She almost said something, but then thought better of it and brought the whiskey bottle to her mouth, knocking back the rest of the drink and wincing as it burned down her throat.

She was silent for a moment longer before she decided she would answer Mary Margaret's question after all.

"No, M&M" She stopped, having to take a deep breath in between the words to steady herself. It didn't work. "It doesn't feel better. It…w-wouldn't matter if I sh…shhhh…shouted it all out or just kept it to m-myself. It's gonna hurt n-no matter w-what the h-hell I do."

The brunette frowned at her best friend, wishing for nothing more than to help her. However, she was positive there wasn't a thing she could do.

"At least tell me what's going on?" Mary Margaret questioned, leaning forward a bit and trying her hardest to look Emma in the eye. The blonde wouldn't have it though, refusing angrily to make eye contact.

Emma immediately began to shake her head, waving her hands about as she tried to push away from the table. Her bare feet slid against the floor and as a result, she moved nowhere. The bottle swung lazily in her hand, making Mary Margaret nervous. But Emma was too busy trying to get up and protest to notice the panicked look on her roommate's face.

"Nuh uh! No! I'm not talking about anything. I'm…" Emma paused, movements stopping for just a moment.

She pondered for a moment, face scrunching up as her mind creaked to find the words she wanted to say next.

"AHA! I'm going to walk it o-off!" This time, when Emma pushed away, she managed to find purchase on the floor and slid back. The chair scraped loudly on the floor.

Mary Margaret took a step towards Emma, eyes widening. "Wait! Emma! You shouldn't be going anywhere. You've had…too much to drink." Her hand reached out to Emma, but the blonde took a quick step back, immediately losing her footing.

MM reached out for her, quickly moving to keep Emma from hitting her head anywhere. She snatched Emma's arms and kept her from tumbling backwards.

"Emma, please. Just stay here and talk to me about it." Mary Margaret begged, eyes pleading with her friend.

The blonde got a grip on herself for a moment, pulling away from Mary Margaret's grip.

"Noooo, MOM! I'm done talking. Talking is…is…is…." There was a look of concentration on Emma's face for a moment, her features scrunching up as she thought of a good word to use.

She snapped her fingers when she was sure she'd found a good one.

"Stuuuuuupid." Emma blurted out, laughing as she did a little twirl and grabbed her headphones off the kitchen counter. "Walks are much more, more, more fun. Kay, bye!" She didn't even bother grabbing her coat as she hurried, or tried to hurry, out the door.

Emma slammed into the wooden door before actually opening it, scowling at it before retreating from the apartment for good. Mary Margaret just watched in astonishment as Emma left.

Emma had a time of it making it down the stairs and out into the street. She fell more than three times, almost not picking herself up off the ground after her last stumble. But soon the ground had become uncomfortable and Emma had picked herself up off the floor and wobbled her way outside. She fumbled for the iPod in her pocket, hoping to catch a few tunes as she had a nightly walk.

Emma was blissfully unaware of the cold temperature outside. The alcohol running through her body was keeping her warm enough. Emma had barely got a grip on her iPod as she retrieved it from her pocket, but her clumsy fingers slipped and the device fell to the ground with a clatter.

The blonde stopped walking, staring down at her iPod. She blinked a few times before an angered look passed through her features.

"Well, motherfucker." She growled, bending down to find a few scratches on the screen.

She scowled and grit her teeth, cursing at her iPod. Emma had never had the cleanest vocabulary, but her cursing became much worse when there was too much alcohol running through her veins. That wasn't the only thing that happened with Emma when she was drunk. Her mood swings were always horrible, swinging from happy to sad to pissed off in a matter of seconds. Tonight was certainly no different.

It was ten minutes later, when she finally had her headphones plugged into her music player, that Emma passed Mayor Mills' office. She was paying no attention to the dark haired woman retreating from the building as she bobbed her head to the music blasting in her ears.

Regina only saw Emma too late after she fumbled to get her keys from her purse. The blonde walked right into Regina, falling back into her ass with one bounce. Regina managed to catch herself, but barely. She nearly landed on top of Emma, but somehow pulled all her leg muscles together to fling herself away from the younger woman.

Regina checked herself for a moment, brushing out wrinkles in her blouse and skirt. When she was positive everything was back into place, a scowl formed deeply into her features as her brown eyes landed on Emma. Emma was still laying on the ground, complete look of shock written all over her face. Regina almost had the urge to laugh, but the anger overruled it.

"What in the name of god do you think you're doing, Ms. Swan?" Regina barked, lip curling up in utter disgust.

The blonde jumped, startled to hear Regina yelling at her. Green eyes flitted up to brown, Emma's eyes wide as Regina's narrowed considerably.

"OH! Oh! R-Regina!" Emma stuttered, blinking rapidly.

The blonde moved to push herself up from the ground, but ended up doing a head first tumble back into the ground. At first there was a look of pain on Emma's face, but it quickly turned into laughter as she sprawled out on the ground.

"That was soooo fun! You s-should try it, Reggie!" Emma moved to do another flip, but instead only turned until she was lying on her stomach instead.

Regina lifted a perfect brow and folded her arms. "What did you just call me?" The older woman asked incredulously, finding it odd to hear her name shortened to something so….common.

Before Emma could speak though, Regina rolled her eyes and bent down to grab the woman by her arm.

"And I'm not about to go rolling around with you on the ground. Get up, Ms. Swan, and put yourself together. You're in public. What would everyone think if they saw their Sheriff drunk out of her mind in the middle of the street?" Regina sounded exasperated, wondering why she was even helping Emma from the ground at all.

"Iiiiii! I do NOT! Not, not, not…." The blonde paused, trying to get her legs to work as Regina pulled on her arm.

Emma stumbled a bit, but managed to get upright. However, she slumped against Regina and smiled brightly at the older woman.

"I don't give two shits what anyone in this town thinks about me. Except you." It was a drunken confession, but a true confession.

The shock on Regina's face told Emma that she hadn't been expecting that. It was silent between them for a moment, but Emma ruined it by starting to giggle.

"Your face looks funny like that." She blurted, leaning a little more heavily into Regina.

Regina scoffed, shoving Emma off of her and straightening her clothes once again. She completely refused to acknowledge the fact that Emma had confessed that she cared what Regina thought of her. She chalked it up to Emma being drink. There was no possible way Emma could care what Regina thought of her. Not that Regina really even cared whether Emma cared or not. Regina mentally shook herself and turned towards her car.

"Lovely language." She scoffed sarcastically. "You need to sober up." Regina called back, continuing her walk and just knowing that Emma would follow.

Emma did exactly that, but it was more like stumbling after Regina. She tripped on her own two feet on the way to Regina's car. As Regina unlocked the passenger side door, Emma leaned against the car and stared at Regina.

"You're so preeeeeeeety." The blonde crooned, eyes scanning over Regina's body in appreciation. She reached forward to touch Regina's arm, but Regina was quicker. She opened the passenger side door and let Emma fall into it before she could touch her.

"I'd thank you to keep your hands to yourself, Ms. Swan." Regina mumbled, turning so she could make her way to her side of the car. Her eyes cut to Emma for a moment before she unlocked and opened her own door, sliding in with an easy gracefulness.

"Party pooper." Emma muttered, letting her body fall limp into the car.

She fumbled for the door handle for a couple minute before she heard Regina sigh and lean over her, grabbing the door herself and slamming it as she leveled an evil glare on Emma. Oh yeah, she was pissed. But if she was pissed, why did she have Emma in her car? Neither woman could answer that question. However, it was neither of their concerns at the moment. Especially Emma's.

Regina eyed Emma for a moment before turning the key into her ignition. The only sound for a moment was the sound of the engine, but suddenly a song began to blast through the speakers, making both women jump in their seats. " _Oh, baby I wanna get with ya and take your picture. My homeboys tried to warn me, but that butt you got makes me so horny. Ooh, Rump-o'-smooth-skin, you say you wanna get in my Benz? Well, use me, use me cause you ain't that average groupie."_

The older woman had to fumble to turn the radio down, terrified that Emma had heard what she had been listening to. The truth be told though, Regina was a fiend for this worlds music. She listen to anything she could get her hands on, especially rap. Regina's eyes were wide as her heart pumped quickly in her chest. She was horrified, afraid of what Emma might say. Well, if she remembered when she sobered up. But for now, she schooled her features back into that of indifference.

However, as soon as Regina pulled her car onto the road, Emma burst into laughter. She threw the blonde woman a fierce glare of consternation, but that didn't stop Emma from continuing her laughter. Regina should have known Emma would not have been able to take the little surprise as an adult, especially considering she was under the influence. She should have expected this reaction, but Regina saw nothing funny in the type of music she listened to.

"Regina liiikes rap! Regina liiiikes rap!" Emma sing-songed, swinging her fingers back in forth in time.

More giggles erupted and Emma slid down in the seat, reaching for the radio at the same time. She barely got it turned up before Regina slapped her hand away in frustration. When Emma looked over at the older woman, a shiver ran down her spine from the pure look of evil looking back at her.

"I am an adult, Ms. Swan. I will listen to whatever I please." Regina stuck her chin out, keeping her regal pose even as she drove. There was a pause before Regina added to her words. "But I'd rather you keep this to yourself. I don't need the whole town knowing what kind of music I'm listening to."

Though that really was the least of her worries, the very least. She had Rumpelstiltskin to worry about, as well as the curse possibly breaking. And on another downside, she had a drunk Emma Swan riding in her car. She only hoped the blonde was a drunk that forgot everything in the mornings.

What usually only seemed like minutes of returning to her home, tonight it seemed like hours to Regina. Emma kept slumping over to her side of the car and messing with the radio. So keeping her eye on the road and swatting Emma off every few seconds made the small journey more cumbersome than necessary. A sigh of relief escaped the older woman's lips when she finally pulled up into her driveway.

When she turned to car off, Emma slumped over to her once more.

"Ohhh, Madam Mayor! Stuck in a car with the Sheriff. All quiet and alone. How compro…comprimisinginging…." Emma giggled, hand landing on Regina's thigh as the blond tried to sexily wiggle her eyebrows.

It wasn't working. Instead she ended up scrunching and unscrunching her eyes. Unfortunately for Regina, Emma was also a handsy drunk.

"I am not  **stuck**  in my car with you." Regina bit back, removing Emma's hand from her leg immediately. "The only thing I'm doing is making sure you don't make my town look bad. So you are going to come inside and get yourself sober." She paused, giving a long sigh of frustration. "I'm just glad Henry doesn't have to see you like this." A hurt expression clouded Regina's features as she thought of Henry. She missed her son so much.

Emma frowned, shaking her head.

"No. NO! Don't talk about Henry. He's the reason I'm drunk n-now. I was at the hospital with him and talking to him."

Emma stopped and took in a deep breath, her mood bursting into melancholy and sadness in seconds.

"He looks so sad laying there in his little bed. And I talk to him all the time. I talk to him about y-you, Regina." Another pause, a hiccup cutting her words short for a moment.

"I wonder ifffff he can hear me." Emma licked her lips, her mood shifting yet again. "Farger can you heeeaaarrr meeee!" The blonde sang, laughter erupting from her mouth seconds later.

Regina curled her lip in disgust and opened her door, slamming it behind her as she made her way around to the other side of the car. When she opened the passenger door, Emma tried to scowl at her.

"Didn't your mommy ever teach you not to slam doors." Emma was halfway tumbling out of the car by the time Regina was able to get a hold of her.

Regina quickly moved the blonde into her home, throwing onto the couch in her office. For a moment she looked Emma over, shaking her head as the woman rolled around on her couch.

The older woman pointed a finger at Emma and placed the most stern look on her face she could manage.

"Stay here. Do  **not** touch anything. If you break anything, you will pay for it." Regina was serious too. And she almost felt uneasy about going to make Emma some coffee, but she could very well break something while she was in the room as well.

Just as Regina reached the door of her office to leave, she heard Emma slam her hand on the couch. When she turned to glare at the blonde, Emma was smiling wide at her.

"YOU BREAK IT, YOU BUY IT!" She screamed, unsuccessfully holding back more drunken laughter.

Regina decided to just ignore her then as she turned and left the room, leaving Emma to fend for herself for a few moments.

Regina was mumbling to herself as she came back moments later with a cup of coffee in her hand. She had only filled it up halfway, not trusting Emma in her drunken state to not spill it. Emma was turned upside down on the sofa when she walked into the room, all the blood rushing to her face and turning it red. Regina clinched her teeth and placed the coffee on the table.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Regina questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Mmmm….nothing!" Emma answered, flashing a sideways grin up at the older woman scowling at her.

As she tried to turn herself the right side up, she slid off the couch and onto the floor, giggling the whole time. She never made it back onto the sofa, only able to get herself on her hands and knees. Emma placed her chin on the coffee table, green eyes staring at the mug in front of her.

"What's this?" Emma asked, licking her lips as she watched the steam roll out of the cup.

"It's coffee, Ms. Swan. And I would appreciate it if you would drink that and sober up." Regina sat herself on the edge of the couch, eyes never moving from Emma.

She wondered why she had let this woman into her house like this. While she did still care about the reputation of her town and what Emma could be doing to it if caught drunk, she wondered if perhaps her own mind was rejecting another motive. She gave no thought to it though as she watched Emma move to sit on the floor.

Emma grabbed the cup of coffee and blew on it dramatically, backing her head up when the steam rolled into her face. She blew at it a few more times before taking a few small sips. Yet again her mood shifted, making Regina feel crazy herself.

"Why are you helping me?" Emma wondered out loud, eyes flicking to Regina for a moment. "I mean, why help someone you hate?"

Regina was caught off guard by the question, leaving her staring at Emma for a moment. She cleared her throat a minute later, looking off to somewhere else in the room.

"As I said, I don't want you to give my town a bad reputation." Regina paused for a moment, giving a small sigh. "And I don't hate you, Ms. Swan. I'm just no entirely fond of you either." It was almost a confession, but not quite.

Regina truly didn't hate Emma, she was just so afraid of her taking her son away. Of course, they had worked together after Henry had fallen into that coma. She couldn't hate her after that.

Silence was all that greeted them after Regina's words, neither woman really knowing what to say. After another moment of silence, which quickly was escalating to awkward, Regina stood up and turned to Emma.

"Finish the coffee. Sober up. There's a spare bedroom down the hall from Henry's room if you want it." Regina retreated quickly, not looking back even when Emma called out to her.

Emma continued to sit on the floor, mind playing over Regina's words. She quietly thanked Regina, unable to actually say the words to her face. After she finished off the cup of coffee, she sat it back down on the table. She wanted a bed to sleep in, but she was afraid of creeping through Regina's house alone. And she didn't want to go back to the apartment for fear of running into Mary Margaret. She was the last person she wanted to have a conversation with. Not to mention she didn't need to feel the worried gaze latched onto her, not after finding out that Mary Margaret was just as Henry had told her, her mother. Eventually Emma just passed out on the couch, too drunk to move or to care. Morning would definitely be an interesting event.


End file.
